SYSTEMPC

PRICE$29.99

DEVELOPERSierra

PUBLISHERSierra

RELEASE11/99

Gabriel Knight 3: Blood Of The Sacred, Blood Of The Damned Review

With a title that sounds more appropriate for a Korn CD, Gabriel Knight III: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, harkens back to an era rich in adventure, chivalry and great storytelling. You see, in the Middle Ages there was no TV, video games, sci-fi novels, comic books, DVDs or internet. Many people escaped through the masterful art of the storyteller who was often revered as today's celebrities are. Even with all our technology, a good story is the foundation upon which all is built and Blood of the Sacred is a damn fine tale to begin with.

Highs:

Excellent Adventure

Visually Stunning

Lots of Noggin Scratchers

The Best in the Series

Top Notch Voice Acting

Gabe in 3D

Lows:

Too Cerebral For Some

Very Long (But Enjoyable!)

In this long-awaited, third installment featuring old Gabe, fans will be delighted to know that everything you have come to know and love about the earlier games will meet or exceed your expectations. The story begins with Gab visiting the dethroned Prince of Albany in the happy little tourist town of Rennes-le-Chateau. As luck would have it, the Prince's son is kidnapped by a group of vampires and Gab suffers a bump on the head only to wake up and find himself in a hotel room across town. With some careful investigation he realizes that there is something odd about the latest influx of tourists. One of the town's attractions is the legend that there is treasure hidden in the area. It is rumored to belong to the Knights of Templar. Now Gab must set out to put the pieces of the puzzle together as he attempts to locate the child, battle vampires and somehow have the treasure figure prominently into the story.

The storyline blends fact and fiction and those familiar with secret societies may have a hard time separating the two. The Order of the Templars is a real organization similar to the Freemasons and because it's a secret society it is shrouded in mystery, mysticism and is rumored to have roots that extend back to Biblical times. Rennes-le-Chateau is also a real town in France and it too is not without its legends. I would seriously advise an evening of surfing to familiarize yourself with these people and places before you embark on this adventure. It literally comes to life and you may find yourself in the ultimate RPG without even knowing it. Author, Jane Jensen, has done her homework and will eventually take her place along such luminaries as Stephen King and Anne Rice.

This third installment is now in 3D which offers more freedom to explore the worlds and also lessens the cut scenes. What you would miss in the cut scenes is made up for with the great voice acting talents of Tim Curry and a great supporting cast, complete with authentic French accents. To enable you to better explore the environments, a first-person camera view is offered which allows you to pan in virtually any direction. You can easily opt for the pre-set mode if it becomes too much of a task Expect a little in the way of Tomb Raider as there are puzzles and tricks that have to be solved and found before you can proceed. It does get frustrating at times especially with the interface which can get tedious on the keyboard.

With some of the best graphics and artwork in the field, Blood of the Sacred is a visual feast. With memorable characters and an addicting storyline, it's a world that you won't want to leave and one that you will return and visit for many of your days.